All Ron Sims’ fault!

The Seattle PI today reports that Sheriff-turned-Congressman Dave Reichert has finally broken his long silence over the problems uncovered in the King County Sheriff’s Office.

And now, as you might expect from a man of his integrity and credibility, Reichert has taken full responsibility for the failings in the Sheriff’s office under his leadership.

Just kidding! I mean you didn’t really expect that, did you? He is up for reelection, you know. No, Reichert did the right thing here…he found someone else to blame:

“Many of the issues the [Blue Ribbon investigation panel] identifies are issues that I worked to solve when I was sheriff and it is gratifying that many of their proposed solutions echo those that both I and Sheriff (Sue) Rahr have put forward,” Reichert said.

Reichert’s statement said some of his own efforts to improve officer supervision and oversight were stymied by a lack of support from other county officials. In particular, Reichert mentioned King County Executive Ron Sims.

“I worked as sheriff to address these issues and others but was often prohibited from doing so by successive years of $1 million to $2 million budget cuts,” Reichert said. “I repeatedly expressed to the county executive the need for an increased budget to effectively implement oversight of the behavior of the organization, to ensure policies and procedures are complied with and to create an ongoing auditing process in the Sheriff’s Office.”

Uh-huh…so it was Ron Sims’ fault!

Well…kind-of. You see the budget for the Sheriff’s Office increased every year from 2000 to 2004.

A spokesman for Sims said Friday that, other than a request for six more sergeants in 2001, the executive’s office could not find any requests by Reichert for the funding the statement described.

Duncan added that the Sheriff’s Office budget consistently has fared better than budgets of other departments over the past several years. Since 2000, the sheriff’s budget has grown by $32 million.

“The bottom line was, their budget has increased every year when other departments were taking cuts,” Duncan said.

The PI cites budget figures from 2000 to 2004 as $84.8, $95, $99, $101, and $106.7 million. In fact, in 2001 the Sheriff’s Office under-spent its budget by nearly $1.5 million.

So…it hardly seems that the underlying problems could really be about money. The series of articles published by the Seattle P-I documented problems with morale, discipline, and officer misconduct—the kinds of things that money affects only superficially in the hands of a real leader; so, maybe we can still pin this on Ron Sims….

The P-I‘s series led to the formation of the blue-ribbon panel, which issued its final report Monday. That report described multiple “longstanding” problems with officer supervision and oversight. It detailed 43 findings, six major recommendations and 36 other suggestions the panel said need to be implemented to repair a broken officer accountability system.

Though it did not single out any past administrations, the panel specifically noted among its recommendations that employee performance evaluations, which were eliminated under Reichert, should be reinstituted.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so, how would eliminating employee performance evaluations cause accountability and morale problems? I mean, isn’t it simpler to just say that it was Ron Sims’ fault? After all, Reichert can show how he was instrumental in changing the culture in the Sheriff’s Office…

In his statement, Reichert also noted his administration “established the core values of the Sheriff Office, leadership, integrity, service and teamwork.”

Former County Executive Randy Revelle, who served as chairman of the blue-ribbon panel, said just having such core values isn’t enough: “It’s one thing to have them posted on a wall. But the real test is, are they guiding and influencing the character of your employees? We didn’t get the impression they were.”

But, but, but, it was Reichert who got the policy down on paper, put up the posters, and made sure everyone got the memo…see? So it must have been Ron Sims’ fault that things didn’t “take”…right?

It sounds like the only thing missing was…you know…that leadership thing.

So…um…I hope you will join Dave Reichert and me in pointing out the obvious implication: the lack of leadership in the King County Sheriff’s office was Ron Sims’ fault!

Sorry folks but the Sim’s budgets for the Sheriff’s office were discriminatory — in part because he felt threatened that Reichert was going to run against him for County Exec. 1% or 2% “increases” during a couple of those recent years did not keep up with inflation nor even employee health care costs. That coupled with big increases in population in the county caused public safety response to come under huge demands. Meanwhile most other departments had larger budgets, especially in social programs and housing assistance. If you believe as I do that public safety is #1, you have to disagree with the priorities of Ron Sims and his budgets.

None- during the time the Sheriff was a separately elected official, he submitted the budget requests. Don’t blast Sims for Sherrif Dave’s requests if they were inadequate. And read the Chair of the COuncil’s comments: (And note that it is the Couoncil, not the Executive which adopts the budget)

County Council Chairman Larry Phillips, who served as budget committee chairman during part of Reichert’s tenure as sheriff, said Reichert actually cost the county millions in added overtime pay and lawsuit settlements during some of the hardest financial years facing the county.

“We were on the cusp of literally closing the county’s park system, and here he was coming in with these really hefty requests,” Phillips said.

Still, Phillips said, the council consistently funded emergency requests for the Sheriff’s Office, such as for the Green River case. “It’s a little hard for Reichert to plead poverty (and) to say we didn’t fund his requests,” he said.

None Specified: Can you prove your assertions? Most HorsesAssFurbalettes eat at the trough of Goldie, anything you say will be ridiculed. If you can prove this, will Goldie issue one of his seldom updates? Yeah, hold your breath on that one!

Roger Rabbit’s tepid, grudging, endorsement of Richard Pope as the “lesser evil” candidate for Northwest District Court is REVOKED because Richard withheld material information from me and his other loyal fans at HA, to wit:

“?Not Qualified “The KCBA Board of Trustees has become aware of court orders imposing or referencing sanctions against Richard Pope and one referral to the Washington State Bar Association for unprofessional conduct which the Board believes may bear on his fitness to be a judge.”

Hey Richard — I’m sorry about your personal problems, but attorneys who can’t fulfill their obligations to the law, the courts, and their clients because of personal problems should not be practicing law, much less presiding over a court … comprende? Take some time off, get your affairs in order, straighten out your head, then we’ll talk. Okay?

Roger Rabbit’s tepid, grudging, “lesser evil” endorsement instead goes to Frank LaSalata, whom the KCBA rates as “well qualified.” He may be a teeny bit gruff with small claims litigants, now and then, but he’s my boy!!! Waytago, Frankie Boy!!!

Hey Richard … I’m glad to see you’re now crusading against pols who use public property for political fundraising and campaigning! I AGREE with you!! This nefarious ripoff of taxpayer resources must be stamped out!!!

So … when are you filing a complaint against George W. Bush for using AIR FORCE ONE and MILITARY BASES for political fundraising and campaigning?

Don’t get me wrong, folks. I have nothing against George W. Bush engaging in campaign and political fundraising activities, per se. I just think he should fly on commercial planes when he does so, that’s all. And don’t give me any crap about the “nuclear football.” He doesn’t need to be right next to it to start a nuclear war. If he wants to start a nuclear war (with, say, Iran or North Korea), all he has to do is call up an aide on the in-flight phone. You know, those things on the seat back? Maybe if he had to fly in a cattle car like the rest of us, he’d know what it feels like, and re-regulate the airlines … or at least make them pay their own fucking pensions instead of dumping their pension debts on the taxpayers!

Pope Protesters Firebomb 4 West Bank Churches, Open Fire at Fifth Saturday, September 16, 2006 NABLUS, West Bank — Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday, following remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that angered many Muslims. Source:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,214128,00.html ===================================== More work by the Religion of Savages. Moonbat response; let millions more Moslem savages immigrate to America. Worthless feminized lib cowards, have you hugged a Moslem today?

I’m not actually back. I’m taking a break from eating the salad bar at Harrah’s (BARRRRRRUUUPPPPPPPP) to use the library computer (I sneak in through a gopher hole in the basement after they turn out the lights).

The tainted spinach was actually a bungled NSA attempt to poison Roger Rabbit. The stupid Republicans ASSUMED that I eat spinach! BLECCCCCHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I especially hate ORGANIC spinach because it has BUGS and SLUGS crawling all over it!!! Excuse me while I barf. (GURGLE BLLLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPP!!!)

Standard GOP deflection. RubberStampReichert ran the most corrupt sheriff’s office in the nation and it was his job to clean it up. He made it worse. Then he fumbled the most important criminal investigation in the county and let a high school drop out beat him like a drum for two decades. And this is the fool who’s gonna make us safer?

Goldy said in a previous thread, “after more than a year of campaigning and nine months of television ads, McGavick is still drawing a smaller percentage of voters than the controversial and bitterly divisive (Katherine) Harris… a candidate who has become the butt of jokes nationwide.”

Hey Goldy, you forgot to mention that McGavick is doing better than LOW TAX LOOPER, who set the bar for other Republican candidates by getting only 4% of the vote against a write-in candidate after murdering his opponent!

But McGavick didn’t kill anyone, did he? Not that we know about, anyway. Yet. Maybe that’ll be his mea culpa for, say, December 2006. Not that he didn’t try. McGavick’s trouble is, he was so staggering drunk, he missed every pedestrian and cyclist he aimed his car at that night.

“To try to blame Sims for what he was responsible for is just slimy and sad.” Commentby JDB— 9/16/06@ 10:11 pm

Not really. It’s merely chickenshit. Buh-uhk cluck-cluck. But then, Reichert saw what happened to McGavick when HE tried taking responsibility for HIS actions, and immediately realized McGavick would have been better off to blame his DUI on Teddy Kennedy, or the cop, or Bill Clinton. There aren’t very many Republicans who can afford to take responsibility for their actions — they would all end up doing life without parole.

Why do you keep forgetting that it wasn’t until Haq was baptized at a far right wing Christian Church that he apparently changed. Yep, as your own post at 15 makes clear, Haq was a peaceful person until he was baptized.

But then, Reichert saw what happened to McGavick when HE tried taking responsibility for HIS actions, and immediately realized McGavick would have been better off to blame his DUI on Teddy Kennedy, or the cop, or Bill Clinton.

Commentby Roger Rabbit— 9/16/06@ 10:15 pm

Why would you blame something that small on Bubba or Teddy. You save those guys for the rapes and murders. Geeeesh.

Why do you keep forgetting that it wasn’t until Haq was baptized at a far right wing Christian Church that he apparently changed. Yep, as your own post at 15 makes clear, Haq was a peaceful person until he was baptized.

Why do you hate Christianity so much Doofus?

Commentby JDB— 9/16/06@ 10:16 pm

He probably couldn’t make up his mind on if he was going to kill a Christian or a Jew. That makes a hell of lot more sense then your goofy baptism theory. Have you ever wanted to blow away a Jew JDB? Be honest.

I assume you’re referring to the tables they put the LETTUCE and CARROTS on? YUMMY!!! Hey, I’m doing all right! I hear all the exterminators in Vegas are booked solid for the next month! The rumor mill says they’re trying to catch a rabbit.

JDB – Haq was a mentally ill nut case. He claimed he was acting for Muslims, and against Jews. He is not a Christian, and no amount of being baptised justifies his actions. I, as a Christian, denounce any action he took on behalf of Christianity.

So, can we stop this stupid chain of comments that keeps referencing this? Unless you have some proof that Haq worked in cooperation with some organized body, your claims have no weight.

What you are trying to cloud is the issue regarding true Islamic fanatics, who kill and kidnap and maim on the orders of their imams, after attending their religious rites in their mosques. Why aren’t you outraged by this?

Please note, my response is to Doofus’ foolish post trying to blame this on Haq being a liberal. I would agree that he is a mentally ill, and that is probably the best explanation.

However, if you follow Doofus’ logic, the only conclusion you can reach is that something changed when he came under the sway of some right wing church. When Doofus et al stop posting their foolish logic, I will stop pointing out the obvious conclusion that their logic leads to.

Doofus: I would never think of it, but obviously killing Jews is something you like to think about.

Janet- You know how these moonbats operate. Haq was obviously a lefty muslim terrorist but it does not stop the libs trying to blame it on the right. It is great fun listening to them distort the truth.

I’m baffled. There are brainwashed masses rioting and burning down whatever they can find, and you all are fussing about a poor mentally ill man who shot up a Seattle Jewish foundation. He claimed he did it in the name of Islam. I don’t know why he did it, but I can reference lots of places where imams are calling their followers to riot. I can’t find anywhere that a Christian leader, including the Pope, are inciting their followers to commit jihad.

However, if you follow Doofus’ logic, the only conclusion you can reach is that something changed when he came under the sway of some right wing church. When Doofus et al stop posting their foolish logic, I will stop pointing out the obvious conclusion that their logic leads to.

Commentby JDB— 9/16/06@ 10:45 pm

Same question JDB, what was Haq yelling when he plugged that Jew? Obviously your logic is flawed.

Haq was mentally ill because his muslim, lefty view on life made him that way. We know he hated conservatives for most of his life. This goes to show that liberalism is a mental disorder. There are many Haqs on the left just waiting to explode. There will be more Haqs in the future.

While I would have liked the Pope to have been more diplomatic in his speach, I am not defending the reactions of Muslims against it. Islam, especially as practiced in the Middle East has serious problems.

Doofus:

So why is it that he was a peaceful person until he was brought under the spell of a right wing church? You still haven’t answered that. Does it touch to close to the truth? Is there still a part of you that remembers what it was like to think freely before you sold your soul for a little security?

Doofus is mentally ill because his wingnut view on life made him that way. Doofus is addicted to right wing lies and propaganda. A typical gateway drug to this addiction is Rush Limbaugh. It goes to show that wingnuttia is a mental disorder. There are many DOOFUS’ on the right just waiting to poor gasoline on a scapegoat’s car or signing up for an opportunity to kill the latest object of their unhinged hate.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Doofus has flung the same poo on the wall almost 100 times hoping someone would care. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still doing it next year. Sounds insane to me.

Doofus, you keep forgetting your own logic. Haq was doing fine until a right wing Christian church brought him under their sway. And let’s face it, if there is anything that history has taught us is that there are plenty of right wing nuts out there waiting to kill Jews.

Why do you hate Jews so Doofus? You sure like glorying in their murder a lot.

So why is it that he was a peaceful person until he was brought under the spell of a right wing church? You still haven’t answered that. Does it touch to close to the truth?

Commentby JDB— 9/16/06@ 11:25 pm

Did he kill the Jewish woman while still wet from his baptism? Please post the link citing that Haq started killing the Jewish woman right after he was baptised. Again what was Haq shouting when he pulled the trigger? Do you know JDB? I know. Do some research and get back to me.

Doofus just has a pathology that makes him try to blame everything on liberalism, even when his own logic makes it clear that it is not so. He will keep repeating his foolishness, hoping that it will become true. He also apparently hates Christians and Jews, as he keeps talking about killing Jews, and blaming Christianity for Haq’s actions.

Why shouldn’t we blame everything bad that happens on you guys? After all, you’ve been running the country for years! Do you think Clinton is at fault for McGavick’s DUI? For Laura Bush killing a guy? For Bush sleeping on the job when Osama was plotting the 9/11 attacks?

Why shouldn’t we blame everything bad that happens on you guys? After all, you’ve been running the country for years! Do you think Clinton is at fault for McGavick’s DUI? For Laura Bush killing a guy? Commentby Roger Rabbit— 9/16/06@ 11:39 pm

Why not, you dems blame hurricans on Bush. You dems sure have thin skin. Liberals can dish it out but cant take it.

As I recall, your friends at Disney got their panties in a twist over Michael Moore’s documentary “Fahrenheit 911,” which was a hell of a lot more factual than ABC’s docu-“dramatization,” scripted by right wing propagandist David Horowitz. You know what they say in the disclaimers on those TV dramatizations: Don’t try this at home!

Hong Tran is going to win, Cantwell is going to sue and King County will go on their twice yearly scavenger hunt for ballots.

They will then count every ballot that is improperly marked with the canvassing board saying they know exactly what the voter wanted.

Let the good times roll! I am waiting for the stories to start rolling into the press rooms. We already have knucklehead Sam Reed declaring that the voters screwed up by not picking a party. Maybe he should have asked why the ballots were designed so crazy??????

Has anybody besides me noticed how the wingnut apologists for bad behavior unfailingly defend liars (Horowitz) and tipsy women who go for midnight rides with married men old enough to be their father (Kopechne)?

Dang, quite a night on the old thread. I was watching the Dodgers get thrashed by the Padres (thank God Notre Dame lost and USC won) and I missed this fun. But I would like to chime in after reading the thread.

So now the Pope has joined president Islamofascist Clash of Civilizations in aiding al Qaida in their quest provoke a religious war, polarize the Islamic world, and force most Muslims to line up on the side of jihad.

Note to Pam Roach aka Janet S. Islamic extremeists are dangerous. Christian extremists like Haq and YOU are MORE dangerous. You’re right here. The Islamic extremists are in Iraq fighting a civil war and killing our kids (well not your kids because you don’t believe in this war enough to send your own kids). At home the Christian extremists are robbing our civil rights, trying to take over our government and destroy our Constitution. That’s more dangerous than anything the Islamic extremists are doing.

You don’t really want to argue over who’s party is currently have problem with criminal activity, do you?

Representative Bob Ney, Republican of Ohio, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to his dealings with the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, lawyers and others with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday.

A guilty plea would make Mr. Ney, a six-term congressman, the first member of Congress to admit to criminal charges in the Abramoff investigation, which has focused on the actions of several current and former Republican lawmakers who had been close to the former lobbyist.

People with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Mr. Ney had entered an in-patient rehabilitation facility in recent days for treatment of alcoholism, making it uncertain whether he would appear at a court hearing to announce the plea. Lawyers and others would speak only anonymously because of concern they would anger prosecutors.

They said the agreement with the Justice Department — and the exact criminal charges, which are expected to include conspiracy and false statement — would be disclosed in Washington as soon as Friday and would probably require Mr. Ney to serve at least some time in prison.

As I recall, your friends at Disney got their panties in a twist over Michael Moore’s documentary “Fahrenheit 911,” which was a hell of a lot more factual than ABC’s docu-“dramatization,” scripted by right wing propagandist David Horowitz. You know what they say in the disclaimers on those TV dramatizations: Don’t try this at home! Commentby Roger Rabbit— 9/16/06@ 11:59 pm

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